The Harry Potter Books Ranked, 2017

Sorry it's been a little while since I've posted.. between then and now I needed an emergency surgery and have just been recovering. There are a lot of things I'd like to post about, but I'm easing myself back in with something light and fun - a ranking of the Harry Potter books. (Not counting The Cursed Child because I'll never consider that an actual part of the story.)

My friend Liz finally read the entire series as my 2016 reading challenge for her and so we've discussed the books quite a bit over the last few months. She is officially a Harry Potter nerd. Thank God. Well, with that and the plethora of HP-related articles floating around the internet, it was sort of inevitable to talk about which books are our favorites. I don't have kids but I imagine it's a bit like picking your favorite child. It's so hard, you love them all.

For me, it seems like I'm always ranking them in a slightly different order. Some are always in the top 3, but there's not a solid list - so I thought it'd be fun to rank them every year or so to see how my preferences have changed (especially since I tend to read each book at least twice a year).

"But how to rank you?"

And so, without further ado, let the sorting er, ranking begin!

7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 

I hate to do this because it automatically feels like the books at the bottom are books I don't like and that's just not true - each and every one of the HP books are at the top of my all-time favorite lists, after only Jane Eyre. 

To be fair, I've read PoA less than I've read any of the other books in the series. I've actually been thinking I need to read this one as soon as I finish my current book (The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte). Maybe that will be enough to bring it up a place or two or five in 2018's ranking? 

I do remember really enjoying reading how Harry spent his time in Diagon Alley at the end of summer holidays. And of course, I absolutely love Professor Lupin. And how Harry overcomes the dementors! So beautiful and significant to the whole series. Although... I also remember really hating the end of this book. I know Peter Pettigrew had to escape for the plot to go on, but... ah, I resent the end every. single. time. Had Sirius been a truly free man, he and Harry could have had such a different story! Dammit, Wormtail! DAMMIT, ROWLING!

6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

This is another one I haven't read as often as I have books 1 and 4-7, so it's not completely fair. Of course, I still love CoS, just not as much as some of the others. Something I do love about it is the time we get to spend at the Burrow. The Weasleys are the best literary family, hands down. I will say that I think the first two movies (Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets) are the best in the franchise. 

5. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

  

I like love stories, but I don't like love triangles. I also don't think Hermione and Ron make a good match. Between those two things, Half Blood Prince loses a little bit of its ~shine~ to me. (I also get generally annoyed because it's the one on tv most often and, like..... show the other movies, would ya?)

I do, of course, love the scenes between Harry and Dumbledore. Learning about Voldemort's past, seeing Harry and Dumbledore's relationship up close... love it. (I love the conversations between the two of them at the end of every book, so HBP is a treat.)

4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

This story might not be as dense as the others, but it's the first one and it gets me every time. There's nothing better than rereading Harry's first time visiting Diagon Alley. The first is wonderful because we get to experience all the magic again.

3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 

I know a lot of people think OotP is the "worst" of the Harry Potter books. I disagree.

Harry is definitely annoying in this book. No question about that. And he makes some dumb choices. But the book also includes glimpses into the way our favorite witches and wizards are organizing to resist Voldemort and his influence at the Ministry of Magic (sound real-life familiar, or...?) and that is awesome.

I read a book called How Harry Cast His Spell by John Granger and in it Granger observes that, of many of the people he's talked to about the books, introverts prefer PoA and OotP and enjoy the two better than most extroverts do. I tend to lean more introvert, so maybe that also affects my view of the book, who knows?

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I have read this book so many times that my copy is currently in two pieces, ripped down the spine. I probably should get on it and buy a new one...

This is what the book looked like a year ago when it was still managing to hang on by a single thread... wah

I love damn near everything about this book (don't even talk to me about the movies though... smh). So many of our questions are answered, everything makes sense, the whole story is tied together... I feel like you can't not like it, just for those reasons alone??

The mystery of the horcruxes is also intriguing, as of course is the question of whether or not the Hallows are real (and whether Voldemort knows about them). I like seeing the trio (especially Hermione and Harry) really come into their own, I like the warm, homey feeling we get during the birthday dinner for Harry at the Burrow. There's so much I like. (Though, like everyone else, the deaths are heavy in this one.)

My favorite part of this book is the end, of course. The symbolism, the ending Rowling feared readers would have guessed too early had she explicitly told us it was a Christian story. The best chapter there ever was: The Forest Again. Harry seeing his parents, Sirius, and Lupin - them giving him strength to sacrifice himself so that others may live.

There's not much more you can ask for from a book.

Neville cutting off the snake's head was cool, too.

And finally...

1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

This is usually the book I proclaim as my favorite of the series. It is perfection.

Sure, it's hard having to endure Ron and Harry's silent fight. But it's worth it because this book is meaty and magical and I don't know, think of another "m" adjective, would you?

I love that we're given some light fun - the Quidditch World Cup (pre-death-eater-parading-around-helpless-muggles, of course), the dance, the Burrow!!, the feasts, the boys getting caught up by the veela, on and on and on. It's got that same magical feeling we were given by the truckloads in Sorcerer's Stone, but the story is also intensifying. We're starting to see real struggle, character development, and obviously, more in-your-face good vs. evil.

Of course, the ending of this one is hard. I think I cry more at the end of this than any of the others, maybe. The moment that comes to mind is when Harry is in the hospital wing after he's returned with the cup and Cedric's body, and Mrs. Weasley (a hero, for real) tells him Cedric's death wasn't his fault. Harry then responds with something like, "I told him to take the cup with me," his eyes filling with tears. (And maybe mine too as I recall this...) And then she hugs him and, not for the first time in the series, he feels glad for it. It's so emotional. GoF, while the graveyard scene is terrifying and horribly sad, is a heck of a book. I love it because it's got fun and danger, it's really the pivotal moment in the series, it's dark but balanced with enough light. It never, ever gets old.

I think it'll still probably be my #1 next year, but I suppose only time will tell.

What do ya'll think?

The Best Books to Read With Your Closest Friends - Part 2

A year and a half ago I wrote the first post in this series. A year and a half. Oy. Well, here comes the second post, better late than never. Here's a continuation of the list of books that are particularly good for reading with friends. 

1. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

I've often praised Rubin here and on Filthy Casket. I can't help it. She is so, so wonderful and, as far as I'm concerned, the best author of her genre. The Happiness Project is a self-help/memoir and it offers so many insights on becoming happy and sustaining happiness. Rubin isn't one of those sappy authors nor is she one who only gives pretty New Age one-liners. She gives solid ideas and advice. She looks at what great thinkers have said about happiness throughout history and puts those theories to work. She herself forms a happiness project and documents it, so we get a real idea of how things work. It sets up a good system readers can follow, though it's flexible enough that it can be tweaked to meet each individual's needs. I think it's great to read with friends mostly because it'd be fun to do happiness projects together, and it'd be a way to stay accountable once you start the projects. I also think it'd be cool to go through the chapters and compare and contrast which elements work best for each friend.

On that same line of thought...

2. Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin

This book of Rubin's is specifically about habits. It's great to read with friends mostly for accountability purposes (assuming you're reading with forming/changing habits in mind).

3. The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra

I absolutely loved this book. It's about war, love, politics, and more. It's one of those books that, in my mind, should be just as revered as some of the classics. It's written as stories which ultimately link together in some way, which I kind of think is getting old (it just seems as though so many writers are turning to this style now). But this style, as well as Marra's writing, makes it a good choice to read with friends. It's also wonderful because some of the stories, particularly the first and the last in the book, can be interpreted in different ways. In her review, Liz mentioned that some of the stories left you wondering what really happened - she's totally right. It was one of the most interesting parts of Marra's book. In fact, after we both read it, Liz and I talked about our favorite stories and it turned out we interpreted things in completely different ways, which made it all the more fun to discuss. Books that do this are definitely good to read with friends.

4. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Ah, these books. They're wonderful and I don't understand how anyone could dislike them. They're terrific to read with friends because they're epic, they share great truths, and most importantly, after you all read them you can have a movie marathon with some pizza and wings.

5. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

This, I think, is my favorite read of 2016 so far. This is good to read alone, of course, but it's good to read with friends because, as most dystopians go, there are quite a few moments when you ask yourself what you would have done in the character's shoes. Oh, I've figured out the next step in reaching the prize (unimaginable money) - do I tell my friend how to complete the step, too? Oh, a corporation is threatening my life because they want the prize - where do I run? It was fun wondering what I'd do if I happened to be the protagonist, and I bet it'd be even more fun to talk about it with friends. Plus, it's a good outlet to vent frustrations with capitalism - a theme that's all too apparent in this book.

I don't know if many people like reading books with friends, but I know I do. I love when a friend and I can talk about all the awesome (or awful) things that happened in a book, or discuss the different ways we interpreted it, or in the case of Rubin's books, help each other with follow through and advice. There are a lot of advantages to reading with friends, and these are some of the books that offer the most opportunity for good fun. (It doesn't hurt that this is something you can do long-distance, too!)

       

The Best Books to Read with Your Closest Friends - Part 1

Update: Part two right here. 

As I was wasting my life away on the internet today, I came across a nifty Buzzfeed post: 19 Books You Should Read With Your Closest Friends.  It's a nice, quick read, and a lot of the books sound wonderful.  I've read a handful of them.  I'm particularly fond of Harry Potter, you know.  That said, the author gave reasons the books were good.  She didn't necessarily explain why they'd be good to read with friends.  So because I'm not feeling creative or smart enough to come up with my own post topic, I'm going to make a list of books I think would be great to read with close friends. 

(Disclaimer:  I'm going to list some of these as great books to read with your close friends at a particular age.  I'm 23, so this will probably be lacking.)

1.  Let's start by pointing out that the author was right to include The Perks of Being a Wallflower.  I read this when I was in my third or fourth year of college.  I enjoyed it, but I think I might have enjoyed it more if, like many of my friends, I had read it while a senior in high school.  I consider it a good book, not a great book.  (I happen to adore the movie.  The dance scene!)

Why is it great to read aloud or simultaneously with your friend(s)?   

If you're around 16-21 and you read this book with your friends, you will likely have a lot to talk about.  I mean, this holds true if you're not those ages, but since they're dealing with high school and college, you'll probably relate to it a bit.  The reason it's great to read with close friends is that the characters have a lot of serious issues going on.  Aside from lessons in empathy and personal struggle, it's a good conversation starter if you've been wanting to tell your friend something but didn't feel comfortable with it or didn't know how to bring it up.  In the book the characters have to handle things like sexual abuse, drug use, childhood abuse, and being gay in a place where it's not safe to be gay.  Those are things that real people go through.  After reading this book, one of my friends said something along the lines of, "yeah, that's how I felt," when talking about Patrick's boyfriend hiding from his dad.  Until then, this friend didn't know how to talk about his personal struggle with coming out.  No matter how close you are with your friends, there are things you might not feel comfortable talking about.  This book can help get that conversation started, if you do want to talk about something you've gone through. 

2.  Another winner on that original list!  Harry Potter!  The entire series will forever be my favorite, and I could go on and on about why, but... time is a thing and this is not that post.  

“Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.”

Harry Potter is terrific to read with your closest friends because Harry Potter is terrific to read in any and every situation, with all people.  I think the main reason for this is that it has such universal values.  On top of that, though, magic is fun.  There's so much room for wonder in the series.  And because it has an entire made up world, there's no end to possible discussions.  It's also pretty well written.  And there are so many kinds of people in it.  Your closest friend is really into sports and stuff?  Cool, he or she will probably love the series.  The sports in the wizarding world are intense.  I cannot fathom a hardcore sports fan not getting worked up about the Triwizard Tournament.  I mean, dragons?  Come on now. And Quidditch?  Don't pretend you haven't imagined yourself playing.  

Or maybe your closest friend really loves school.  She relates to Hermione.  

Orrrrr maybe your closest friend was from a poor family and relates to the Weasley family.  Or maybe s/he didn't have parents and related to Harry.  It goes on and on and on.  When you read the series, there's no way you and your friend won't feel connected to certain characters or story lines.  And when you read it together, it'll likely bring you even closer, because friendship is one of the main themes throughout the books.  Two friends reading about friendship (and the sacrifices, the gifts, etc that come with it) have no choice but to become even better friends.  JUST TRY AND PROVE ME WRONG. 

And just to beat my own record of longest blog post saying the same thing over and over... and over.  There's another reason to read this with your friend(s)!  Especially as you get older, I think it's a terrific idea to read this with your absolute closest friends more than once.  Or at least, reread them along with your friends.  There are seeds that are planted in our brains when we read HP for the first time, but those seeds can really start to grow when you read the books critically with your friends.  (Bear with me on the seed analogy.  I have to work at a greenhouse some days, so fresh on the mind...)  As you and your friend(s) get older and have to live in the real world, there will be so much more to explore in the series.  You can start to see feminism.  You'll start to see Christian themes.  You'll see themes of oppression and revolution.  As a kid, I understood the basic good vs evil structure in the books.  As I got older, and more importantly as I started talking about the books with my friends, I started to see the ways Rowling depicts women (magnificently), how the main characters often mirror Christ, how Hermione's devotion to SPEW was badass.  And we start to apply those lessons to real life, and I honestly believe it makes us more mindful people.  Better people.  

Also, if your good friend happens to be someone you're crushing on, the Hermione-Ron relationship gives ample room for you to drop not-so-subtle hints like, "Wow, see how amazing and beautiful it is for these two good friends to enter into a relationship and get married and have babies?  Are you seeing this?  Wow look how possible!  WOW THEY ARE OUR AGE! WOW WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?"

Ahem.

3. A People's History of the United States.  I read this in high school for a class.  It was good then.  But know what was better?  Reading it with close friends in college.  We grow up thinking America is the greatest thing (especially if we're white because we're not given immediate reason to dispute that in our everyday lives), and it's really hard to question that.  It's also very uncomfortable in an itchy sweater sort of way to realize the ways in which you're privileged or the kinds of things you've been turning a blind eye at and sometimes, if you want to talk about that, it's best to do it with a good friend who isn't going to judge you but also is going to tell it to you straight.  Especially great to read with friends from different backgrounds, whether racial or economical.  

4. For this next one, we're gonna make it fun by having a board game option at the end.  Grab your best friend and read Murder on the Orient Express together.  

This is slightly cheating, because there's nothing touching or heartwarming or anything like that to make it great to read with close friends.  So why is it on this list?  WELL.  I have this thing where I can't be an ahole to strangers.  But my best friends?  Lol yeah, hi.  This book is a mystery.  Not only is it a mystery, but it's a wonderfully written mystery, the kind where the facts and the circumstances are laid out but you can't quite solve it on your own.  So, aside from being absolute fun to read with friends, you can have a bit of a bet on it.  (Apparently I think betting is an ahole activity?)  You and your friends can all guess what the ending will be, and whoever is closest wins something, OR the people who are furthest from the correct ending have to do something horrible.  Basically a more in-depth version of truth or dare.  (I always go with dare.)  

And when the book is done and the dares are dished out, you and your friends can enjoy a game of Clue.  With or without a few wine coolers.

This is on here because I play board games with close friends and rarely with acquaintances.  Social.  Anti. 

5. You already know I am a big fan of Mindy Kaling.  Her show is my favorite on TV at the moment.  Her book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) is also awesome.  I haven't technically read this "with" a friend, but when my old roommate, Stephanie, read it I heard constant laughter.  And because she's the sharing sort, Steph would often read me excerpts.  This is the sort of book that would be hilarious to read together (everything is funnier when you're exposed to other people cracking up), but at times it's got a personal feel to it, so I wouldn't read it with anyone other than a good friend. 

“I’m only marginally qualified to be giving advice at all. My body mass index is certainly not ideal, I frequently use my debit card to buy things that cost less than three dollars because I never have cash on me, and my bedroom is so untidy it looks like vandals ransacked the Anthropologie Sale section. I’m kind of a mess.” 

Only my close friends can join me in side eye-ing one another with the, "yeah that's us" look after reading that sentence.  

You feel me? 

So I guess that's where I'll end the first part of this.  I plan on having three parts.  I think reading books with the people who mean the most to you can be a really intimate thing.  But it can also be good fun, and it's probably a better idea for bonding than a trip to McDonalds to test out the new menu items.  Probably.  

Read on. 

Part 2 here.